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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27156722">Forbidden Fruit</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arsoemon/pseuds/Arsoemon'>Arsoemon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ShuKita 100 [33]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5, Persona Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Engagement, Friends to Lovers, Infidelity, M/M, POV Alternating, Pining, Shukita - Freeform, scandalous</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:27:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,511</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27156722</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arsoemon/pseuds/Arsoemon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 2: Formal</p><p>He should be happy. One of his best friends will be announcing his engagement to the woman of his dreams tonight. He should be happy.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kitagawa Yusuke/Kurusu Akira, Kitagawa Yusuke/Persona 5 Protagonist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ShuKita 100 [33]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1485896</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Shukita Halloween</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Forbidden Fruit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"How do I look?"</p><p> </p><p>Yusuke turns and watches him fuss with his curls for a moment. "Allow me," he takes the problematic lock and smooths it into place. He looks Akira over, seeing him and not. "Perfection," he whispers as they stare into each other's eyes.</p><p> </p><p>He should be happy. One of his best friends will be announcing his engagement to the woman of his dreams tonight. He should be happy.</p><p> </p><p>Yusuke can feel the sting of oncoming tears and clears his throat. "Well then. Let us get you to your queen to be." He opens the door with an over exaggerated flourish, hoping to conceal the few teardrops that have already escaped. Fortunately, Ryuji is coming up the hallway as the door opens.</p><p> </p><p>"Ready to go?" Akira nods nervously and steps out of the room. Ryuji double takes to Yusuke. "Hey," he stops him with a hand on his shoulder. "You know nothing's changing, right?" He looks alarmed at the way Yusuke's face contorts.</p><p> </p><p>"I wish that were true," he gives a pitiful smile as he continues to his place at the table.</p><p> </p><p>•</p><p> </p><p>As expected, the announcement is met with uproarious applause and congratulations. He plays his part, fulfilling his duty as one of two best men and feigning merriment with everyone else for a while. With a sad smile, Yusuke downs the last of his drink and rises to leave.</p><p> </p><p>Futaba catches him as she runs by. "Hey, where are you going? The party's not over yet."</p><p> </p><p>He clears his throat, avoiding eye contact. “I am feeling a bit unwell. I'm going to get some rest. Please give my apologies and congratulations to the lovely couple." He tries to walk away, but she steps back into his path.</p><p> </p><p>Futaba cranes her neck to give him a look that he turns his head away from. “Oh Inari,” she whispers sadly as she wraps her arms around him.</p><p> </p><p>As Akira stands half-listening to a group of older people fawn over him and his fiancée, he glances around the room, catching Futaba wrapping her arms around Yusuke. With a slight frown, he can’t help but wonder when that became a thing. He turns back to the group closest to him just in time to miss Futaba wagging her finger at the taller man.</p><p> </p><p>“There is little reason in discussing it now,” Yusuke shakes his head. “This is it.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll see about that,” she looks resolute and runs off. Yusuke sighs, torturing himself with one last glance at Akira smiling across the way, the smile not his most genuine but not altogether fake either. He’s beautiful, and Yusuke can feel the hairline fracture in his heart begin to branch and deepen, claiming the entirety of the small, pathetic organ in the name of pitiful selflessness. His eyes are finally freed from the torment when Haru rests a hand on his arm.</p><p> </p><p>"Will you walk with me?" She asks sweetly. He offers his arm and the kindest smile he can, and they make their way out into the garden.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Congratulations,” Akechi offers what may be a genuine smile. “Be good to her, and perhaps you’ll be spared.” He takes a sip as someone gets the lady’s attention. “By the way, Kurusu-San, where’d your shadow go?” He takes another sip, his knowing expression making Akira uneasy.</p><p> </p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I never expected him to be mine. And I’d convinced myself that I was prepared to see him with someone else, but.... I never fathomed it would come to this. Truly, I am a fool.”</p><p> </p><p>“It may not be too late,” Haru pats his hand once he finishes confessing to what he should’ve told Akira years ago.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t lose hope just yet,” Ann gives a soft smile as she and Haru share a look, the ladies seeming to know something he doesn’t. Haru nods toward the doorway, and they share another look before standing to go back into the reception hall, stopping to congratulate and hug Akira on the way in. Yusuke watches him undo his tie and take a few deep breaths, the crowd clearly getting to him. He stands to go and comfort his leader—a habit he will have to force himself to break soon—but stops when someone else steps out to talk to him.</p><p> </p><p>As they seem to settle into a conversation, Yusuke turns to leave, forlorn yet content to slip into little more than a vaguely fond memory. He makes it only a few paces before he hears his name. Just before he reaches the stairs, he turns and sees Akira sprinting toward him, his face one of determination, a beautiful nightmare bounding forward to claim him. For a moment, Yusuke wonders if this is how shadows felt: entranced and terrified at the sight. He takes a single step backward as Akira wraps him in a tight hug.</p><p> </p><p>"I missed it, didn't I?"</p><p> </p><p>Yusuke is confused. "Missed what?"</p><p> </p><p>"All of it. You..." Akira pulls back to look him in the eye. "This... it's not... I'm sorry." He hugs him again, panting from the sudden sprint and onslaught of realization. "I never wanted to hurt you, Yusuke."</p><p> </p><p>He's starting to understand. “I don’t understand.”</p><p> </p><p>“I might be wrong, but...” Akira steps back again. “You love me?”</p><p> </p><p>Yusuke is dumbfounded. Here is the easiest possible way for him to confess, just a three letter word or a twitch of the head, but to say “yes” or even simply nod could alienate Akira entirely.</p><p> </p><p>“Yusuke,” his leader’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts. “Do you love me?”</p><p> </p><p>There’s hope in his voice, pleading in his searching eyes, but for which response, Yusuke can’t tell. He opens his mouth to answer, but his lungs won’t allow any air out. Yusuke nods slowly.</p><p> </p><p>Akira closes the distance between them once more. His lips are soft against Yusuke’s and sweetened by the cake he’d had two slices of. Yusuke’s lungs finally spare some air, but it comes out as a needy whine muffled by this forbidden kiss.</p><p> </p><p>They break for air. The warmth of Akira’s breath makes Yusuke’s lip quiver. He bites down on the trembling offender and looks down with a small whine.</p><p> </p><p>“We... we shouldn’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“But don’t you want to?” Akira breathes before leaning in again.</p><p> </p><p>“Akira-“</p><p> </p><p>“If you say no,”—he’s so tantalizingly close, their noses nearly brushing—“that’s it. We’ll stop right here and pretend this hadn’t almost happened.” Akira removes the engagement band and leans toward Yusuke’s ear. “But if you say yes....”</p><p> </p><p>A chill runs up Yusuke’s spine, and he braces himself against Akira with a hug. “I... please...” he whimpers, he himself unsure of what he’s asking the other man.</p><p> </p><p>“What would you like me to do?”</p><p> </p><p>Yusuke sighs and buries his face in Akira’s neck in answer. Words are beyond him, his body far more prepared for this conversation than he is. But he knows his leader; be it for his need for clear consent or purely for his sadistic streak, he will make him say it.</p><p> </p><p>“How about this,” Akira steps away one last time. “If you’re interested, come find me in an hour.” He takes Yusuke’s hand and places a gentle kiss on the knuckles, one last lingering look before going back inside.</p><p> </p><p>Yusuke watches speechlessly. He should be appalled, disgusted. Here at the very party announcing his impending betrothal to someone else, Akira has propositioned him. It’s wrong; he should be disgusted.</p><p> </p><p>Yusuke can feel the corners of his mouth turning up and makes his way back inside to the party. It’s wrong, and yet he can hardly contain his excitement. Anticipation for this tryst—perhaps the first of many?— sends a rush through his entire body.</p><p> </p><p>He plays his part as one of two best men, being jovial and entertaining the guests who seek him out just until the time runs out. All the while, he and Akira are keenly aware of each other. Their eyes meet and pass most indecent messages back and forth a number of times within the short, endless time constraint. Yusuke lets his imagination run wild as he feigns interest in what the person next to him is saying.</p><p> </p><p>He uses a brief lull in conversation to excuse himself. The hour is up, and he’s impatient. His breath quickens as their eyes meet once again. He motions to the door with his head, and Akira rises to follow, buttoning his coat and giving one of his famous Joker smirks. Yusuke leads the way into the hall, his body urging him forward with sure steps, his thoughts racing yet focused on one thing and one thing alone. </p><p> </p><p>They step casually into an empty room, Akira already unbuttoning his coat once more as Yusuke closes and locks the door. He takes but a second to savor the expression on Akira’s face before moving to close the distance. There’s no time to waste. He has longed for this opportunity for years and is hoping, <em>planning</em> to have Akira as many different ways as possible before they run out of darkness in which to hide.</p>
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